Falling Is Like This
by frazee
Summary: 5 Part series of mainly HitsuHina babbles, some IchiRuki. Some slight OOCishness... The parts are so short, I'm just grouping them all into one chapter. Please R&R, and let me know exactly what you think.


**Disclaimer**: I do not own/did not create/have anything to do with Bleach. Simple enough, right?

**A/N**: Random HitsuHina fluff…. . couldn't help it. I'm so bored. My first fic in a long while… (sigh) so happy…. Oh yeah, **SLIGHT LIME-ISH-NESS **in part 4, but it doesn't really go into anything, so you're safe.

Seeing as I haven't read the manga and I've only seen up the episode 47, I'm not going to mention anything about Aizen, Gin, etc., etc., etc... because I've read some fics with different versions of how things turn out, and they're all labeled "SPOILER"... so I don't know what happens, but I would appreciate it if someone told me... >.> that is, if you don't mind... I won't scream at you or anything. I'm a brat at spoilers, really.

Also, I used my very limited knowledge of japanese for once! So you'll encounter things like "Hai" and "Doumo arigatou gozaimasu" a lot... maybe too much? I dunno... I'm sure you all know what they mean already, but just in case "Hai" is yes, and "Doumo arigatou gozaimasu" means thank you... at least, that's what my translator tells me... LOL

**Falling is Like This  
****By Cadet**

**Part 1  
****Bittersweet Reflection**

Hinamori leaned her head back on the wall, sitting on her bed in the middle of the night. Her light insomnia was beginning to be not-quite-so-light, and every time she tried to sleep, random thoughts would begin bouncing back and forth in her mind. She had consulted her friend Matsumoto about it a few days ago, but it had not helped as Matsumoto had come up with some theory about her insomnia being in no small way related to the all time Hitsugaya had been spending with another death god recently.

Needless to say, Hinamori had not been in the best mood lately. Her inability to sleep was making things much, much worse than it could've been.

_Stupid Hitsugaya…_ she thought to herself, crossing her arms about her chest and trying not to let the horrible moping she was going through to show on her face. If he wanted to be with someone else, fine. Let him. It wasn't going to affect her one bit!

Hinamori jumped forward a moment later, shocked at her thoughts. He… he didn't really affect her in the first place. He was just her friend, plain and simple. And besides, why was she moping? She should be happy for him. He finally found a girlfriend. It was the talk of soul society, literally. The boy genius had found someone who could match his wits.

Ironically, there was a certain someone who seemed to be moping at this fact also, though when Hinamori reflected upon it, she doubted that he would ever really admit it. That was just the type of person Ichigo was. He was really a lot like Hitsugaya, only brash.

Hinamori sighed and closed her eyes. _Is it possible that I've lost all chance with him?_ she thought to herself, trying to ignore the tears coming to her eyes. She gritted her teeth. _I will not cry…_ she told herself. _I've been crying too much lately. Never again._

A small tear slid down her cheek. She brushed it away and opened the window, sticking out her hands to let the droplets of rain fall and soak her palms. She rubbed her with the fresh rainwater to hide any sign of tears or crying and wiped her face dry with a towel that lay beside her spare clothes.

_I wonder if he loves her?_

Was it possible that Hitsugaya had come to fall for Kuchiki Rukia? She had seemed different since she had been put on death row, but Hinamori knew that not many people gave much thought to it. After all, it was a horrifying experience. She would recover in her own time, as they all would from the events of the past months.

It was only then that she noticed something small with eight little legs crawling across her shoulder and down her chest. She waited one small second for her brain to process exactly what the little creature was, before letting out an ear splitting scream that reached to the farthest edges of soul society.

Hitsugaya jumped up in bed, his head shot towards the door, and his mind only focusing on one thing. _Hinamori!_

**Part 2  
****Spiders Make Excellent Conversation Starters!**

Hitsugaya jumped up in bed, his head shot towards the door, and his mind only focusing on one thing. _Hinamori!_

He got out of bed as quickly as he possibly could, which actually didn't make much of a difference seeing as he probably would've done so anyway in a few moments, had not he not heard her screech. Hitsugaya seemed to be suffering from some kind of sleeping disorder lately. It was quite odd really. He couldn't identify the cause, but he was sure that it wasn't anything to alert fourth division about and it surely would not affect him while he was on the job.

So great was Hitsugaya's need to see Hinamori, to make sure she wasn't hurt, that out of all the people in soul society, he was the first to get to her room. He opened the door and rushed in, praying that it wasn't anything serious. He let out a breath of relief and sweat dropped when he was that it wasn't anything serious, merely a spider that Hinamori was trying to get away from. It was actually kind of comical. Everywhere she moved, the spider followed.

A few others arrived a short time later, but Hitsugaya waved them away and soon everything had calmed down again.

He sighed and stared at her. _She really is beautiful…_

"Hit… Hitsugaya!" Hinamori screeched. "Could you do something please?" she snapped. He snapped out of his reverie.

"Hai." he replied. He walked over, calmly Hinamori noticed, and picked the tiny spider up without any real effort, cupping it between his hands so it couldn't escape. He looked up at her. "Better?" he asked. Hinamori smiled nervously.

"A little." she replied, inching her way away from the corner she had been backed into by the tiny arachnid, jumping when Hitsugaya made to open his hands. She saw the side of his lips curve into a smirk. For a small moment, she forgot about the spider and became entranced by his lips. It was passed, however, when he turned and walked out the door, setting the spider down outside, in a spot where it wouldn't be rained on.

He walked back over to her. "Doumo arigatou gozaimasu." she said. He nodded slightly.

"So, all that screaming was over a little spider?" he said, making sure. She blushed.

"It wasn't a little spider! It could probably have bitten my head off!" she replied weakly, exaggerating more than just a little. Hitsugaya bit his tongue in an effort to keep from laughing.

"It was a little spider." he corrected her. Her face fell.

"Honestly Hitsugaya!" she scolded. "You shouldn't take things so literally!" Hitsugaya's right eyebrow rose.

"What are you even doing awake at this hour?" he asked her. Hinamori sighed.

"I couldn't sleep." she replied. "What are you doing awake?"

"I heard you scream." he replied, brushing off the question. Hinamori looked at him oddly.

"You woke up and rushed all the way here just because you heard me scream?" she asked. Her heart might have fluttered for a moment, but she couldn't be entirely sure. She was too anxious waiting for his reply to fully notice a butterfly or two. Hitsugaya's voice faltered for a moment, searching for the words to reply.

"No." he admitted. Hinamori's heart sank. "I was already awake."

"Oh." came Hinamori's slight reply. It was so quiet Hitsugaya had to squint just to hear it. It was another struggle entirely just to make it out.

"I couldn't sleep." he told her.

They stood in awkward silence for a moment or two, each trying to think of something to say without saying what they really wanted to, it seemed. Of course, they didn't know that the other was really thinking how they couldn't confess their undying love for each other for one reason which didn't make much sense, or another reason which ended up making even less. In truth, it was probably nerves and fear of what the other might say in return which kept them from coming out and telling the other the truth.

"How's Rukia?" Hinamori asked suddenly, breaking the silence. Hitsugaya froze at the sudden noise and the question she posed. _What exactly does she think?_

**Part 3  
****Even a Warrior Needs Protection**

"Ichigo?" came a soft whisper. It sounded almost alien to his ears. Nonetheless, he rolled over and rubbed the sleep from his eyes to see exactly who had entered his room without his permission. He had a pretty good idea who it was, considering she had done it back when they were both in the living world. But Ichigo had decided to stay and become a full-fledged death god, so it would be interesting to find out why she was still continuing the habit.

"Rukia?" he called out.

"Hai." she replied. She made her way over to him, her dark, soft hair falling in front of her eyes. She brushed it back without thinking, inhaling nervously. Was she really about to do what she was about to do?

"What are you doing here?" he whispered. His unusual orange colored hair was an even bigger wreck than usual, and Rukia resisted the urge to brush it away so that she could get a clear look at his face.

"I- I just wanted… to talk with you." she told him. His expression flickered from indifference to concern for a moment, before he regained control over it once more.

"Is everything okay?" he asked, keeping the worry from his voice. He had perfected this ability over the past few weeks as he saw her escorted around by a certain captain. She took a deep breath, preparing herself for what she must do. If she didn't, she knew she would never be able to live with herself.

"I… I have a confession to make." she told him, watching his face carefully.

"Can it wait until morning?" he asked. She shook her head.

"No. It has to be now." she replied. He yawned before nodding that he understood and sat up in bed. She stared down at him hesitantly, his face staring back at her, and couldn't decide whether she was trying to be casual or careful as she climbed in the bed and sat beside him, huddling beneath the blankets for warmth.

"Well?" he asked after ten minutes of silence. "What did you need to talk to me about?" Rukia considered her words carefully.

"When I first met you, I- " she stumbled, trying to figure out in her head exactly how to begin. "It… it was obvious that you were… different. You were different from all the other mortals, and all the other death gods that I had met." she told him, still not entirely sure of herself. What if she was making a huge mistake? What if he didn't feel the same way about her that she felt about him? What if… she sighed. She didn't have time for what ifs. She would tell him of her feelings, here and now, and it would be the end of second guessing herself and wondering about him. He chuckled quietly.

_That's a bit of an understatement._ he thought to himself.

"What's so funny?" she asked, her brows furrowing together. He stopped and looked over at her.

"I'm a high school student, who was given the powers of a death god, then had them taken away when you were taken prisoner-" he paused mid-sentence and scowled at the memory, "and then nearly became a hollow to regain those death god powers." he finished. Rukia smiled and nodded.

"Different doesn't seem to give the situation credit, does it?" she replied. He smirked in agreement.

"Th- the point is… this. After everything that's happened, to you, to me…after everything we've been through, this hasn't been the first time that I've noticed that I-" she stopped, trying to figure out exactly what she was feeling. Her stomach seemed to be twisting into a thousand knots, she was short of breath, and her mind was racing so quickly it was hard to form a coherent thought. Ichigo inhaled deeply in anticipation of what she was going to say, wondering if it was going to be what he thought it was going to be. And well, if it was, he wasn't exactly going to turn her away, now was he?

_No._ he thought inwardly. He patiently waited for her to continue. She regained her voice after a few seconds.

"This isn't the first time I've noticed that… Ichigo, I'm in love with you." she told him. "I'm in love with you, and I don't understand it all." Ichigo couldn't do anything except stare, his heart struggling to keep its pace normal. "Most everything you do and say makes me want to beat you on the head with my soul slayer, and yet… you're always there when I need you." she told him. She sat with him in a silence that became awkward after a very short time. "Say something, please?"

He didn't, but Rukia was not disappointed either. Just as she was about to give up, Ichigo leaned in and brushed his lips against hers. Surprised at the contact, Rukia froze. It didn't take long before she began to respond, kissing back and curling into his embrace. It turned passionate, Rukia and Ichigo's lips parting only momentarily for each to regain their breath.

Rukia's face had turned a light shade of pink, her lips tingling from the feeling of the kiss. He brushed her long bangs behind her ears, a genuine smile gracing his lips, as he softly caressed her face.

"Rukia?" he asked, staring into her eyes.

"Hm?"

"I have a confession to make." he told her. Rukia's eyes lit in a way Ichigo had never seen them before.

"What?" she asked. He smiled.

"I'm in love with you, too."

**Part 4  
****Long Awaited Bliss**

"How's Rukia?" Hinamori asked suddenly, breaking the silence. Hitsugaya froze at the sudden noise and the question she posed. _What exactly does she think?_

"She's…" he began, not sure if he should give anything away. What would Rukia think if he told her of their pact? Hinamori seemed to be hanging on his every word. Hitsugaya knew what he had to do, but he was no fool and had to admit, the idea of telling Hinamori he was madly in love with you and had been for as long as he could remember scared him. Shitless, he had heard Ichigo say. Hinamori bowed her head to stare at the floor. She wasn't entirely sure she would like the answer, let alone be able to take it without finally breaking down and sobbing.

"She's with Ichigo." he replied, his heart jumping at the sight of her sadness. She looked up at him curiously.

"She's with Ichigo?" Hinamori asked. "But… it's in the middle of the night."

"She had something important to tell him." he replied. Hinamori nodded, her mouth forming a silent 'Oh'.

_Come on, you baka! Say something!_ Hitsugaya heard in his heard. He flinched inwardly. _Get away…_he replied sternly. He shook his head and scratched the back of his head. _Great, now I'm scolding my own thoughts!_

"Is something wrong?" Hinamori asked. Hitsugaya looked at her.

"Eh?"

"You were shaking your head." she replied. Hitsugaya chuckled nervously.

"Oh. Heh, just… voices in my head won't shut up." he replied. Hinamori smiled.

"I know what you mean." she commented. She and Hitsugaya laughed. It was fairly obvious that both of them were nervous. Hinamori tugged at the sleeve of her shirt as she took a chance at Hitsugaya. "What was so important that Rukia couldn't wait until morning to tell Ichigo?" she asked.

"She's in love with him." he replied. Hinamori's eyes widened. It was an answer she didn't expect. _Of course, I didn't really think about it at all. I only thought about Hitsugaya being in love with her. But…_ "Hinamori?" Hitsugaya asked.

"Hai?"

"The truth is that I came to see you for more than one reason." Hitsugaya told her. Hinamori swallowed, trying to maintain what she hoped was a face that didn't show that what she wanted him to tell her. Hitsugaya managed to catch it, however. It was that that seemed to give him enough strength to get through the next few minutes – despite the fact that shitless could no longer express exactly how scared he was. It was as if every part of him was numb. He was paralyzed, almost.

"Is… is it something that can wait until morning?" she asked. He could hear the hoping in her voice. He shook his head.

"No." he replied, steadily working up the nerve. "It's something important."

Somehow, he found the ability to move. It was like his body had switched to automatic. Thankfully, it was working in his favor, though he suspected if it was conscious, he would have done the same.

"Hinamori?" he whispered. She shuddered as she felt his breath against her face. They were mere inches from each other, Hitsugaya standing, and Hinamori sitting down on the bed.

"Hai?" came her reply. Hitsugaya gulped, hoping that in the next few moments, he didn't do anything that was idiotic and mess up the moment.

"I-…"

"Hai?"

"I…"

"Hai?"

"I- uhh…"

_Oh, for crying out loud!_ Hinamori thought to herself. _Get on with it already!_

"What I'm trying to say is… Hinamori Momo, I think… I think I'm in love with you." he told her. Hitsugaya let out a sigh of relief, glad that he had finally told the woman he loved the truth. He waited for her to react, which didn't take all that long.

"About damn time." she whispered, before claiming his lips with her own. Hitsugaya closed his eyes and returned the kiss, his mind suddenly blank. The kiss ended, and the two looked at each other, smiling. "I love you, Shiro-chan." she whispered.

The second kiss lasted longer, and grew more and more passionate as they let all their feelings for each other out. All their dreams were finally becoming real, and every touch seemed to awake a part of them that had been asleep, in wait. Every ounce of energy that had been spent to keep their feelings for each other in check was let loose, turning and twisting and colliding.

His held her as he kissed her, his hands gradually falling lower until it fell at her waist. They pulled away, breathing heavily. She leaned against him, her forehead resting against his, their eyes locked, and both of their hearts racing.

_Hitsugaya…_

Matsumoto inched away from the window as quietly as possible so she didn't alert the couple inside. She snuck around to the front and picked up the spider, cradling it in her hands to keep off the rain.

"You've done well, little Guy." she whispered to the spider. The spider would have given her a look that said something like 'well, of course I did, what did you expect?', if only it had the ability to show emotion with its face – which few spiders seem to be able to do.

Matsumoto walked back to her and sat down in her chair. _Mission accomplished._

**Part 5  
****The Morning after…**

"So… how is it that the two of you are both confessing your love at the same time?" Unohana asked curiously.

"Eh?" Ichigo asked, looking up at her.

"Well, you and Rukia, and Hitsugaya and Hinamori got together on the same night."

"Oh yeah, that's right." Hinamori said. She looked over Hitsugaya for an explanation.

"And there's also you and shortie over there spending so much time together." Ichigo said, looking at Rukia. Hitsugaya's eye twitched.

"Watch who you're calling shortie!" Hitsugaya snapped. Ichigo glared over at him and Rukia sweat dropped.

"Shiro-chan, why did you spend so much time with Rukia?" she asked, calling his attention back to her and away from Ichigo. Not unintentionally, as it were. Hitsugaya sighed.

"We're kindred." Rukia said simply. "Both in love with someone else and too terrified to say a word."

"Hai." Hitsugaya agreed. They sat around in silence for a few moments, each acknowledging the bond that had formed.

"Shortie." Ichigo muttered under his breath. Before, that is, he was attacked by Hitsugaya. It took both Rukia and Hinamori to separate them, and later they all laughed about it.

And, because I haven't made this quite cliché enough… they all lived happily ever after…

Oh, and Hitsugaya _did_ grew to be as tall as Ichigo, though he was forever known to Ichigo as shortie.

**A/N**: So, love it, hate it? GIVE ME DETAILS! HITSUHINA FOREVER! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!


End file.
